Thread inspection device



D '10, 1946. w. M. ALLING 2,412,381

THREAD INSPECTION'DEVICE- Filed Oct. 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Suventor Dec. 10; 1946. w, ALUN 2,412,381

THREAD INSPECTION DEVICE Filed 06:1 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 attorney Patented Dec. 10, 1946 QFFHCE THREAD INSPECTION DEVICE William M. Ailing, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Uhio,

a corporation of Ohio 4 Claims.

In the manufacture of rayon thread some of the thread may be imperfect and consequently must be sold as a second quality, inferior or waste product depending upon the gravity of the imperfection. Naturally such a product cannot be sold at the sam price as a first quality product, nor can an inferior or waste product command the price of a second quality product,

These imperfections may be due to broken filaments in the rayon thread and they manifest themselves by giving the thread a fuzzy appearance. Sometimes, too, the broken filaments form aggregates or lumps which are commonly referred to as slubs. These imperfections are usually detected when the thread is being transferred from an intermediate supply package to form the package in which the thread is to be sold to the textile manufacturer. One form in which the thread is sold is as a cone. In making such cones the thread passes from a supply package through a coning machine on which the cone is built up. As soon as imperfect yarn is detected, the coming machine is stopped and the thread supply package is segregated from first quality production. The thread on this supply package is then withdrawn from the package and sold as second quality, inferior or waste thread.

However, very frequently a substantial part of the thread remaining on the segregated supply package is of first quality and since such thread commands a higher price, it is desirable to recover a much of it as possible and not to sell it as an inferior quality thread.

The present invention provides apparatus. which facilitates visual inspection of thread simultaneously with its removal from a rejected or segregated thread supply package and thus makes it possible to classifythe thread into various grades with considerable accuracy. The apparatus is particularly adapted to be associated with a conventional packaging machine such, for example, as a coning machine. It enables the operator to inspect the supply packages as the thread is removed therefrom and wound into package form and to determine when that portion of the supply package which contains the imperfections is withdrawn.

The inspection of the rejected thread packages may be accomplished, according to the present invention, simultaneously with the operation of packaging those portions of the supply package which are of inferior quality but still capable of being used in textile manufacture. Thus, the manufacture is enabled to reclaim all of the usable thread which might otherwise be classified as waste. Moreover, considerably less first quality thread from rejected thread packages finds its way inadvertently into the second quality classification.

The inspection of the thread package is achieved by the use of the apparatus of the invention with a minimum of eifort on the part of the operator and with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency. The character of the thread being removed from the supply packages is always readily discernible to the operator yet the freedom of withdrawal of the thread is not in any way hampered in the course of the operation. a

The thread inspection apparatus of the invention comprises generally a thread package support, means for withdrawing thread from a thread packag mounted upon said support, and a viewing means disposed in close proximity to said thread package support for facilitating visual inspection of the thread package as thread is withdrawn therefrom.

By the term viewing means" is meant any suitable form of member which can be disposed in close proximity to the thread package to facilitatethe inspection of the character of the thread as it is withdrawn from the supply package. The viewing means may advantageously take the form of an opaque surface against which the character of the thread is visually discernible, and it is advantageously of a color which is in contrast to that of the thread on the supply package so that the thread on the package is sharply outlined. The viewing means may be made of colored or ground glass, cloth, metal or any other suitable material.

Although the inventive concept of the present application is adapted to use with any form of machine; theopeifgtion of which includes the withdrawal of thread "from a supply package, it

is par tfculaflyndvantageously employed in combination with a packaging machine such, for example, as a coming machine of the type shown in -the-aceompanyinadrawipgg In these drawings, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a. typical coning machine towhich apparatus embodying the principles of the presseen from line 3-4 in Figure 1 and corresponds to Figure 2.

As will be seen from Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, one modification of the apparatus of the present invention includes a viewing means such as plate 8, a plurality of spindles I2 and brackets I9 by means of which plate 6 is supported in operating relation to a thread withdrawal means; the threadwithdrawal means is shown as being a conventional coning machine 5 which forms no part of the present invention.-

Brackets I9 are secured to frame member 9 of coning machine 5 by means of clamps I and may be adjusted with respect to said frame member 9 by means of jack screws II. Fixed to the free end of brackets I9 is a tubular portion I6 which serves with the upwardly extending projection 8 to support plate 6. 7

Plate 6 is advantageously of such size as to form a contrasting background for the thread packages I8 mounted on spindles I2 for the inspection of which the apparatus has. been devised. Along one longitudinal edge of plate .6 a vertically extending abutment I is formed by bending plate 6 in suitable fashion. The other longitudinal edge of plate 6 is turned under to form bead I3 which serves to stiffen said plate 6 and to present a smooth edge therefor.

Plate 6 is secured to brackets I9 as by means of bolts I4 which are threaded at both ends thereof. Each bolt I4 is advantageously of sufficient length to extend through tubular portion I6, abutment land sleeve 3'I disposed within abutment 1 and to receive at both ends nuts 32 which when drawn tight hold plate 6 securely in place on brackets I9.

Mounted on abutment I are a number of spindles I2 corresponding to the number of positions on the thread withdrawal means. Coning -machine is provided with a plurality of such positions and accordingly one spindle I2 secured to abutment I by means of socket I5 is disposed in operative relation to each such position. Sockets I5, which may be fixed to abutment I in any suitable manner as, for example, by welding, are

so constructed that spindles I2 may pivot about a pin 33 from a substantially vertical position (shown in dotted outline in Figure 1) to a submounted on arm-28. Thread 20 is then passed through. stripper element 25, tensioning device 26, adjustable thread stripper element 21 to reciprocating guide 28 by means of which said thread 20 is laid upon a cone 80 in the form of a precision wound package 29. Stripper element should preferably havev a slightly wider aperture than that customarily employed in manipulating first quality threadsince the thread hereemployed is imperfect and, therefore, may be frayed, knotted or fuzzy.

The winding of thread 20 into package 29 facilitates the withdrawal of the imperfect thread from package I8 and at the same time forms a: commercial package therefrom. As thread 20 is withdrawn from package I8, the operator is enabled to observe the physical characteristics of the thread contained in the outermost layers of said thread package I8 since the outline of the package stands out in bold relief against the round furnished by plate 6.

Successive layers of thread 20 on thread package I-8 are exposed to view as the thread is withdrawn from the thread package. When the imperfect portion of thread package I8 under ,inspection has been removed, the operator stops the thread withdrawal operation. The imperfect portion of the thread package I8 which has been stantially horizontal position (as indicated in the l a horizontal position.

In the operation of inspecting thread packages rejected from regular production because of imperfections detected in the thread, the package I8 to be inspected is placed upon spindle I2 disposed in a vertical position in socket I5 as in the case of the position A (at the extreme left in Figures 2 and 3). Package I8 is then pivoted to the substantially horizontal position shown at- B and C (Figures 2 and 3) above plate 6 against which the physical characteristics of the outer layers of thread forming the outline of package I8 are clearly discernible.

An end of thread 20 from each package I8 is passed through pigtail guide 2I which is directis secured to longitudinally extending rod 22 wound up in the course of its withdrawal as package 29 on cone 30 may now be disposed. of according to its proper classification as second quality thread, inferior, or waste. The portion of the thread which still remains on the thread package I8 may then be placed back into the proper processing line for first quality thread.

The inspection of thread packages I8 may be facilitated by adjustingthe position of plate 6- by the use of jack screws II on clamps II! which secure brackets I9 to frame members 9 of coning machine 5. Each individual spindle I2 may also out departing from the invention. Withdrawal means other than a coning'machine may be employed so long as it satisfactorily withdraws the thread without injury thereto and may take the form of an air jet, a godet or other similar devices.

Various arrangements of apparatus'may also be employed as long as the thread package support holds the thread package in relation to the viewing means at a position which facilitates the inspection of the package by the operator.

I claim:

1. Thread inspection apparatus comprising a pivotally mounted thread package support;

means for withdrawing thread from a thread package mounted upon said support; viewing means associated with said thread package support for facilitating visual inspection of the thread package as thread is withdrawn therefrom; means for tilting the thread package support to bring the thread package in close proximity to said viewing means; and means for adjusting the position of said thread package with respect to said viewing means.

2'. Thread inspection apparatus for use with a coning machine comprising brackets mounted on the co ing machine frame; a viewing means supported by said brackets for facilitating the visual inspection of thread; a plurality of thread package supports disposed along said viewing means; and means for adjusting the position of the thread package support to bring the thread packages mounted thereon into close proximity to the viewing means as the thread is withdrawn from said thread packages by the operation of the coning machine.

3. Thread inspection apparatus comprising a horizontally disposed viewing means; a plurality of pivotally mounted thread package supports disposed longitudinally of said viewing means, said thread package supports being adapted to be moved from a substantially vertical to a substan- 

